After a month in Colorado, I have returned to the heat and humidity of central Missouri. Fed by these jungle-like conditions, including copious rainfall, the vegetation on our Columbia property had grown, spread and lost any semblance of human control. After all, nature abhors clean edges.
Not that I'm fastidious when it comes to landscaping. Favoring a naturalized look (which requires much less work), I focus on cutting our modest-sized lawn and keeping vines from smothering the other plants. Some "weeding" is necessary in the flower beds (we don't use herbicides) and storm refuse must be collected and hauled to the city's composting center.
For a while, I'll enjoy the Midwest summer with its cicada chorus, buzzing insects, colorful songbirds and vibrant greenery. But I'll soon dream of autumn, with its cool, dry air and vocal migrants. Or I'll just head back to Colorado, where a simple patch of shade is sufficient to escape the summer heat.
